Switch cabinet with movable fuse hopper



March 1934- L. G. KUHLMAN ET AL 1,949,748

SWITCH CABINET WITH MOVABLE FUSE HOPPER Filed Nov. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l gin vented March 6, 1934. L. G. KUHLMAN El AL SWITCH CABINET WITH MOVABLE FUSE HOPPER Filed Nov. 14, 1928 Fig.4. at Ma March 6, 1934.

L. G. KUHLMAN ET AL SWITCH CABINET WITH MOVABLE FUSE HOPPER Filed Nov. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuentou lw GJluk/man David 7. Wadsworth Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH CABINET WITH MOVABLE FUSE HOPPER Application November 14, 1928, Serial No. 319,405

3 Claims.

This invention relates to safety switch boxes of the type wherein the customers fuses are accessible from the exterior of a switch cabinet which is usually sealed in a suitable manner by the power company, and has for its principal object the provision of a simple and inexpensive means whereby several previously used types of cabinets may be converted into structures of the class referred to.

Another object is to provide means in the nature of a fuse pan or hopper which is hinged to a wall of the switch cabinet independently of the cover and cooperating therewith to preclude access to the switch by way of the fuse opening.

Another object is to provide a means of this kind which occupies a minimum of space and utilizes but little material.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the ac- 20 companying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental plan view of the interior of a switch cabinet embodying a fuse hopper of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fuse pan '25 removed from the cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a cabinet of the invention with the fuse door closed.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view of the cabinet with the fuse door open.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a View taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

The device comprises a simple cabinet (preferably made of sheet metal) having a rear wall 7, side walls 8 and 9, and end walls 10. A flanged cover 11 is hingedly mounted on wall 8 and has a fuse opening 12 with a narrow slot 13 extending therefrom. An insulating base 14 has an integral upstanding boss 15 in which are suitably secured the fuse receptacles or sockets 16. The boss 15 is in this embodiment substantially oval in plan and has a shoulder 17 bounding it just below its top face. This top face and shoulder are disposed in closely adjacent planes which are disposed parallel to and intermediate the rear wall '7 and cover 11.

At the top edge of wall 8 a hopper or pan, indicated generally as 18, is hingedly mounted on suitable rings 19 secured to wall 8 and passing through slots 20 in an upstanding flange 21 which is integral with a plate 22 of the hopper. This plate is disposed in slightly spaced relation to the inner face of cover 11 so as to permit slidable movement of the fuse door 23 over the plate and under the cover. Spaced flanges 24 on the inner 5; face of cover 11 provide the necessary slidable mounting for the fuse door which has a plate 25 fixed to one corner thereof with an overhanging portion 26 to which a locking rib 27 is attached. These parts, being connected with door 23 are reciprocated longitudinally in the cabinet when the door is moved by the knob 28. The rib 27 projects downwardly into the cabinet below the level of plate 22, which is cut away as at 29 and 30 to clear the rib 27 and plate 25 on the door. The remaining projection 31 on plate 22 seats on a suitable lug 32 attached to or struck inwardly from the body of wall 9. A box like member 33 depends from plate 22 and has a bottom 34 apertured at 35 to fit over the top of boss 15 and to seat on shoulder 17 thereof. With the hopper or pan 18 in position and the cover 11 closed the fuse receptacles 16 are effectively segregated from the remaining interior of the cabinet. Slidable movement of the door 23 closes the fuse compartment, and when the switch actuating crank 350 is moved to close the switch 36, the offset shoulder 37 in the crank abuts the end 38 of rib 2'7 and precludes opening movement of door 23. Thus a safety switch cabinet is provided with a minimum of parts and material. The rib 27 is extended so as to preclude closing of cover 11 when the switch is closed and shoulder 37 is raised into the normal path of movement of said rib.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a cabinet having a side wall, an apertured cover for closing the cabinet, a fuse receptacle block in the cabinet and an apertured fuse pan hinged on the side wall and movable into the cabinet to a position wherein the body of the block closes the aperture therein, a flange on the fuse pan whereby said pan is hingedly mounted to the side wall, a door on the cabinet cover for closing the fuse pan, a rib carried by the door and a switch actuating crank movable to a closing position wherein the said door is retained in a closed position by abutment of the rib on the switch crank, the flange on the fuse pan being cut away at the side remote from its hinged mounting to permit movement of the rib with said door.

2. In a safety switch box construction the combination of a cabinet having a rear wall and side walls, a cover hinged on one of said side walls, said cover having an aperture therein, flange members on the inner face of the cover on oppo site sides of the aperture, a door slidable in said flange members and controlling the aperture, and. a fuse pan having a flange at one side, said flange being hingedly mounted to the cabinet on the side wall which carries the cover, the flange of the therefor, a slidable door and mounting means therefor carried by the inner face of the cover and disposed between the cover and the body of the fuse pan and an offset bar carried by said door for holding the crank against closing movement when the door is open, said body portion of the fuse pan being cut away for a distance to afford clearance for said bar.

LEO G. KUHLMAN.

DAVID T. WADSWORTH. 

